CRYSTAL Ocean is among the best horses of recent seasons. A classic-placed Group 1 star who never finished out of the first three in a 17-race career that took in four seasons, he is also among the select group who have earned in excess of £2 million on the track.

Runner-up on his only start at two, he split Capri and Stradivarius in a vintage edition of the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster and then dropped back to 10 furlongs to take the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown first time out at four. He won twice at Royal Ascot, notably last year’s defeat of Magical in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes over 10 furlongs. He chased home Cracksman in a Group 1 Champion Stakes and was only beaten by a neck and a head respectively when runner-up to Enable and Japan in the King George and Juddmonte International Stakes.